Wednesday January 30, 2008
Dear Constituent,
The Ministries of Community Safety, Environment and Labour confirm that on January 26, 2008 at approximately 11:30 a.m. the Spills Action Centre notified the Ministry of Labour on-call inspector of an explosion that occurred at G.B. Scrap Metal Ltd. located at 96 Hyde Avenue in Toronto.
The Ministry of Labour is investigating, I will be sure to keep myself informed of the result.
My office also contacted the Fire Department who confirmed that, although the weekend fire was not a big fire, this is the third one in last three years. The Fire department will have a report on fire code compliance at the site on Wednesday January 30 and I will make sure I am aware of that as well.
I have also been in touch with the Ministry of the Environment to inquire about Spills Action Centres and the legislation and regulations that surround them.
I am in contact with the Spills Action Centre. My understanding is that the yard is currently legally allowed to operate but I pledge to continue to keep in touch with Ministry officials to ensure that compliance at the site is reliable and that the site is operating according to all regulatory codes.
I will continue to monitor the situation and follow-up on the matter on behalf of the residents of York South-Weston.
Sincerely, Laura Albanese MPP York South-Weston
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
January 31, 2008
Dear Laura,
I am one more very angry resident that suffered damages due to the huge explosion that occurred at the scrap yard on Hyde Ave. this past weekend. I have lived at this address since December 1980. I live here with my husband and two children 29 & 26. I really thought that after a fire of that magnitude back in August 06, some action was going to be taken to seriously allow the residents in the surrounding area to finally feel safe and at ease. Instead right on the one year anniversary another major fire threatened us again. Nothing was done on this date again by the City/ Province/ or our politicians. Our letters and pleas went unheard.
This scrap yard has had on average at least one fire incident per year to which fire Department crews have had to attend. G&B has been operating for approximately 5 years. Prior to them, it was also a scrap yard and the same story goes for them as well.
I now ask you what our government is going to do NOW to assure us that we can feel safe in our homes. It is very evident that this type of business should not be operating in our back yards. We are subjected to bad smell of burning, loud noise of smashing and banging and crushing, bright lights shining in our windows, and not to mention having to be evacuated out of our homes. missing work (August 06) , and having to quickly remove our vehicles out of our garages for fear that the flames of the fire were going to spread. All this at 5:00 a.m.
I am certain that you do not want a fatality to happen before some action is taken here. What steps MUST we take to have our voices heard NOW. We the residents of Westbury Cres. and surrounding area are all taxpayers within our rights to be heard and represented by our M.P.P. when a situation such as this arises.
I await your response at this time.
Sincerely,
L.P
Dear Ms Albanese
Thank you for the response – you appear to be the only person at any level of government who has taken any interest in our plight.
I would respectfully suggest that, while the scrapyard’s presence appears to be legal it is obvious that the frequency of the serious incidents there (permit me to correct you – 2 fires and an explosion in 18 months, not 3 years) suggest that they are not operating within the perimeters of safety.
In an interview with the press, the fire marshal confirmed his belief that their practices are not acceptable. This should have been picked up by the inspecting officials. Someone is being derelict in his or her duties, and as such my family’s safety and the safety of my property is being seriously compromised.
If the scrapyard appears to be working within the law, then the framework of legal regulation governing them is faulty. More attention is being paid to the words of the law than to the safety and wellbeing of the people that the law is supposed to protect – you will, no doubt agree with me that this is absurd, to say the very least
I call on you, as a constituent, and as a tax-paying resident of York to assist the people of our neighbourhood to actively help to resolve the dangerous situation.
Thank you
Derrick Bloch
Dear Ms. Albanese
The problem is not "is the scrap yard operating within by-laws". The problem is "the scrap yard is operating within a residential area". The last meeting I had with the fire marshall I was told that these industrial operations are inherently dangerous. They are; why is it that our government cannot get it into their heads that having an inherently dangerous operation in the same area that children play, adjacent to a park and backyards, will NEVER be safe.
Historically, even before G&B was opearting at this location there was an average of one fire incident per year. None of the elected politicians seem concerned by that. Now we know about another threat, explosions; as if fires weren't life threatening enough.
We need changes to the laws to force these businesses out of residential areas. We need someone in the government to protect our homes and the lives of our families. So far nobody on any level of government has indicated that they will make a difference. Even your letter has indicated that you are going to talk to the Fire Department, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of the environment. The residents of this community have had their fill of politicians talking to each other. I am asking you, on behalf of my family and the rest of the frightened residents of Westbury Cres., to help us.
We need the laws changed to keep us safe from these dangerous operations. We need to be able to feel safe in our own homes. We need you to make a difference.
Regards,
Sean Kloosterman
Laura,
While of course I want to be kept updated on future developments, your response sounds like the same old stuff we have heard since we were evacuated from our homes in August 2006.
I no longer care to hear about "currently allowed to operate" and "operating according to all regulatory codes".
The scrap yard is STILL PUTTING PUBLIC SAFETY AT RISK.
Compliance has not equalled safety. Just ask the residents and businesses that got their windows blown to bits and their structures damaged.
Two questions: 1. What comes first, codes and regulations or resident's right to safety in their own homes?
2. Why do their rights to operate continuously take precedent over our right for safety?
Vince Nicholson
Ms Albanese, good morning
Thank you for taking the time to talk to me at my home yesterday.
In the document that you left me you write that “the City of Toronto Building Department examined the buildings on the property as well as several exposure properties in the community reporting damage from the explosion”. I have seen no-one from the Building Department. No one has been near or by. Will someone be contacting me to inspect my home? Is G&B being held responsible for damage? Will they be required to pay any increased insurance premiums that we incur through their negligence?
Would you and/or Councillor diGeorgio please inform us of where we, the residents, stand?
Thank you and kind regards
Derrick Bloch
I have been reading the stories about this scrap yard for awhile and thought it might be worth mentioning the following.
So far it seems the government is doing very little to help the residents affected by the scrap yard and while it may not be a preferable solution, the residents affected by the re-occurring explosions, etc, may want to consider putting together a class action civil lawsuit. Options might include actions in private nuisance or negligence and the group may be able to force the yard out by making them go broke to pay your claim.
I am by NO means telling you that a civil suit will succeed, I am merely mentioning an option that bypasses the government and goes to the courts, whose focus is on justice. Obviously any legal action should include consultation with a qualified lawyer, but as a last resort, it may get the results you are looking for.
Alysha
Alysha,
Yes, a number of residents are meeting this week and will be discussing all available options including legal action. Thanks for your suggestion, it is appreciated.
Vince Nicholson
Post a Comment